DOCSLIB.ORG

Yogaofsound-Allreadings.Pdf

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Yogaofsound-Allreadings.Pdf 1 Class One: The Generative Power of Language and the Song of Silence I. The Two Truths About Reality From the Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life: saṁvṛtiḥ paramārthaśca satyadvayamidaṁ matam| buddheragocarastattvaṁ buddhiḥ saṁvṛtirucyate|| Truth about reality is considered to be of two kinds – deceptive and ultimate. How things really are is inaccessible to the intellect, for the intellect is said to be deceptive. (9.2) II. The Power of the Word A. From Atisha’s Lamp for the Path of Awakening: bhavo vikalpobhūto'yaṁ tadvikalpātmakastataḥ| sarvakalpaparityāgaḥ nivārṇaḥ paramo'sti hi|| This world has come into being through concepts and thus exists purely conceptually. The abandonment of all such conceptual thinking is the highest nirvana. (56) B. From Nagarjuna’s Root Verses on the Middle Way: vyavahāramanāśritya paramārtho na deśyate | paramārthamanāgamya nirvāṇaṁ nādhigamyate || Without relying on conventional reality, The ultimate meaning cannot be taught. Without arriving at the ultimate meaning of things, Nirvana cannot be attained. (24.10) 2 yaḥ pratītyasamutpādaḥ śūnyatāṁ tāṁ pracakṣmahe | sā prajïaptirupādāya pratipatsaiva madhyamā || Whatever arises dependently Is what is called emptiness. That which is conventionally designated Is the middle way. (24.18) apratītya samutpanno dharmaḥ kaścinna vidyate | yasmāttasmādaśūnyo hi dharmaḥ kaścinna vidyate || There is nothing whatsoever That does not arise dependently. And thus there is nothing whatsoever That is not empty. (24.19) yadyaśūnyaṁ bhavetkiṁ citsyāccūnyamiti kiṁ cana | na kiṁ cidastyaśūnyaṁ ca kutaḥ śūnyaṁ bhaviṣyati || If there was anything at all that was not empty, Then there would be something that we could call “empty.” There is nothing at all that is not empty, So how could there be something that is empty? (13.7) III. Silence and Ultimate Reality A. From the Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life: yathā dṛṣṭaṁ śrutaṁ jïātaṁ naiveha pratiṣidhyate| satyataḥ kalpanā tvatra duḥkhaheturnivāryate|| It is not things that are seen, heard, and known that is being refuted here. It is the conceptualization of those things as truly existing – which is the cause of our suffering – that is here repudiated. (9.26) 3 B. From Nagarjuna’s Root Verses on the Middle Way: karmakleśakṣayānmokṣaḥ karmakleśā vikalpataḥ | te prapaïcātprapaïcastu śūnyatāyāṁ nirudhyate || Freedom comes from the destruction of karma and mental afflictions. Karma and mental afflictions come from conceptual thought, From the conceptual elaboration of them. And conceptual elaboration comes to an end in emptiness. (18.5) nivṛttamabhidhātavyaṁ nivṛtte cittagocare | anutpannāniruddhā hi nirvāṇamiva dharmatā || When the realm of thought has ceased, The process of labelling ceases. Reality is like nirvana: It is doesn’t arise nor does it end. (18.7) ApràTyy< zaNt< àpÂEràpiÂt<, inivRkLpmnanawRmetÄÅvSy l][<. aparapratyayaṁ śāntaṁ prapaïcairaprapaïcitaṁ | nirvikalpamanānārthametattattvasya lakṣaṇaṁ || Independent, peaceful, not projected by conceptual elaboration, Beyond conceptual thought, undifferentiated – These are the characteristics of reality. (18.9) From Candrakirti’s commentary on verses 25.16,24 of Nagarjuna’s Root Verses on the Middle Way: sarvaprapaïcätétarüpatväd jïänasyeti| What is called “wisdom” lies beyond all conceptual elaborations regarding the world of form. 4 väcämapravåttervä prapaïcopaçamaçcittasayäpravåtteù çivaù| When there is nothing left to say and conceptual elaborations are pacified and the discursive mind shuts down, there is peace. C. From the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra: yasya kasyäpi varëasya pürväntävanubhävayet | çünyayä çünyabhüto'sau çünyäkäraù pumänbhavet || 40 || Even one who contemplates on what is before and after the sound, that person becomes joined with emptiness through emptiness; he assumes the form of emptiness. (40) madhyajihve sphäritäsye madhye nikñipya cetanäm | hoccäraà manasä kurvaàstataù çänte praléyate || 81 || Keeping the tongue inside (and inverted), put your consciousness in the middle of the wide open mouth. Mentally make the sound “ha.” Then one will be absorbed in peace. (81) abindumavisargaà ca akäraà japato mahän | udeti devi sahasä jïänaughaù parameçvaraù || 90 || Repeat the letter “a” without nasalization or aspiration at the end, o Goddess, and then suddenly a great flood of wisdom, the Supreme Lord, will arise. (90) varëasya savisargasya visargäntaà citià kuru | nirädhäreëa cittena spåçedbrahma sanätanam || 91 || Put your mind on the aspiration at the end of a letter with aspiration. Because the mind has no support, one touches the eternal brahman. 5 Class Two: Chanting Sacred Syllables I. Om: The Ultimate Mantra A. From the Chandogya Upanishad prajäpatirlokänabhyatapattebhyo'bhitaptebhyastrayé vidyä sampräsravattämabhyatapattasyä abhitaptäyä etänyakñaräëi sampräsravanta bhürbhuvaù svariti || The Lord of Creatures heated up the worlds. When they had been heated up, the threefold Veda issued forth from them. He then heated that up, and when it was heated up these three syllables issued forth: bhuh, bhuvah, svah. (2.23.2) tänyabhyatapattebhyo'bhitaptebhya aumkäraù sampräsravattadyathä çaìkunä sarväëi parëäni santåëëänyevamaumkäreëa sarvä väksantåëëoìkära evedaà sarvamaumkära evedaà sarvam || He heated those up and when they were heated up the syllable om issued forth. Just as all the leaves are held together by the framework of their veins, so too is all speech held together by om. This whole world is om, this whole world! (2.23.3) B. From the Maitri Upanishad (6.22-23): athänyaträpyuktam dve vä va brahmaëé abhidhyeye çabdaçcäçabdaçca atha çabdenaiväçabdamäviñkriyate atha tatra omiti çabdo'nenordhvamutkränto'çabde nidhanameti athähaiñä gatiretadamåtam atatsäyujyatvam nirvåtatvam tathä ceti Elsewhere it has been said, “There are two forms of ultimate reality to be meditated upon: sound and the soundless. It is through sound that the soundless is revealed, and that sound is om. By it one ascends upward until one loses oneself in the soundless. This is immortality; this is the union; this is freedom.” 6 atha yathorëanäbhistantunordhvamutkränto'vakäçaà labhatétyevaà vä va khalväsävabhidhyätä omityanenordhvamutkräntaù svätantryaà labhate Just as a spider ascends upward and gains a footing by means of its threads, so does one meditate on om and by that ascends upward and gains independence. yo'sau paräparo devä omkäro näma nämataù | niùçabdaù çünyabhütastu mürdhni sthäne tato'bhyaset || The divine, which is both transcendent and imminent, is called by the name of om. One should concentrate at its place in the head on that which is soundless and also empty of becoming. C. From the Bhagavad Gita, 10.25: maharṣīṇāṁ bhṛgur ahaṁ girām asmyekam akṣaram yajïānāṁ japayajïo 'smi sthāvarāṇāṁ himālayaḥ Among the great sages, I am Bhrigu. In language, I am the one syllable (i.e., “om”). Among ritual practices, I am the repetition of mantras. Among mountains, I am the Himalayas. D. From theYoga Sutra: tasya väcakaù praëavaù| Om is his (the Lord’s) designation. (1.27) tajjapastadarthabhävanam| Repeat it constantly and meditate on its meaning. (1.28) tataù pratyakcetanädhigamo'pyantaräyabhävaçca Because of this obstacles will vanish and there will be the discovery of one’s inner consciousness. (1.29) 7 II. Meditating on Om A. From the Mandukya Upanishad: om ityetadakñaramidaà sarvaà tasyopavyäkhyänaà bhütaà bhavad bhaviñyaditi sarvamoìkära eva yaccänyat trikälätétaà tadapyoìkära eva (1) “Om” – that syllable is everything! Here’s why: The past, present, and future – everything is just om. And whatever is beyond the three times, that too is just om. sarvaà hyetad brahmäyamätmä brahma so'yamätmä catuñpät (2) For everything is indeed ultimate reality, and ultimate reality is this true Self. That ultimate reality is this true Self made up of four parts. so'yamätmädhyakñaramomkaro'dhimätraà pädä mäträ mäträçca pädä akära ukäro makära iti (8) Om is the true Self in relation to its syllables: the number of its phonetic parts is the same as the quarters and the quarters are the same as its phonetic parts: “a,” “u,” and “m.”. amätraçcaturtho'vyavahäryaù prapaïcopaçamaù çivo'dvaita evamomkära ätmaiva saàviçatyätmanä''tmänaà ya evaà veda (12) The fourth is not a phonentic part: it cannot be pronounced, it is the pacification of elaboration, it is peace, it is non-dual. So it is that om is indeed the true Self. The one who knows this amalgamates himself or herself with the true Self. (12) 8 B. From the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra: praëavädisamuccärät plutänte çünyabhävanät | çünyayä parayä çaktyä çünyatämeti bhairavi || O Bhairavi, one who recites om and other such seed mantras and then meditates on emptiness at the end of the drawn out version of such a recitation arrives at emptiness through emptiness, through the highest shakti. (39) III. The “Perfection of Wisdom” Mantra From the Heart Sutra: tasmäjjïätavyaù prajïäpäramitämahämantro mahävidyämantro 'nuttaramantro 'samasamamantraù sarvaduùkhapraçamanamantraù satyamamithyatvät prajïäpäramitäyämukto mantraù | tadyathä| And so there is a great perfection of wisdom mantra you should know, a mantra of great knowledge, an unsurpassed mantra, a mantra that is equal to what has no equal, a mantra that puts an end to all suffering, a mantra of the perfection of wisdom that, because it is true, has been truly spoken. It goes like this: gate gate päragate pärasaìgate bodhi svähä || 9 IV. The Mantra of Impermanance From the Diamond Cutter Sutra: yaśca khalu punaḥ subhūte bodhisattvo mahāsattvo'prameyānasaṁkhyeyāṁllokadhātūn saptaratnaparipūrṇaṁ
Load more

Recommended publications
  • A Translation of the Vijñāna-Bhairava-Tantra (Complete but Lacking Commentary) ©2017 by Christopher Wallis Aka Hareesh
    A translation of the Vijñāna-bhairava-tantra (complete but lacking commentary) ©2017 by Christopher Wallis aka Hareesh Introductory verse (maṅgala-śloka): “Shiva is also known as ‘Bhairava’ because He brings about the [initial awakening that makes us] cry out in fear of remaining in the dreamstate (bhava-bhaya)—and due to that cry of longing he becomes manifest in the radiant domain of the heart, bestowing absence of fear (abhaya) for those who are terrified. He is also known as Bhairava because he is the Lord of those who delight in his awesome roar (bhīrava), which signals the death of Death! Being the Master of that flock of excellent Yogins who tire of fear and seek release, he is Bhairava—the Supreme, whose form is Consciousness (vijñāna). As the giver of nourishment, he extends his Power throughout the universe!” ~ the great master Rājānaka Kṣemarāja, c. 1020 CE Like most Tantrik scriptures, the Vijñāna-bhairava-tantra (c. 850 CE) takes the form of a dialogue between Śiva and Śakti, here called Bhairava and Bhairavī. It begins with the Goddess asking Bhairava: śrutaṃ deva mayā sarvaṃ rudra-yāmala-saṃbhavam | trika-bhedam aśeṣeṇa sārāt sāra-vibhāgaśaḥ || 1 || . 1. O Lord, I have heard the entire teaching of the Trika1 that has arisen from our union, in scriptures of ever greater essentiality, 2. but my doubts have not yet dissolved. What is the true nature of Reality, O Lord? Does it consist of the powers of the mystic alphabet (śabda-rāśi)?2 3. Or, amongst the terrifying forms of Bhairava, is it Navātman?3 Or is it the trinity of śaktis (Parā, Parāparā, and Aparā) that [also] constitute the three ‘heads’ of Triśirobhairava? 4.
    [Show full text]
  • 108 Upanishads
    108 Upanishads From the Rigveda 36 Dakshinamurti Upanishad From the Atharvaveda 1 Aitareya Upanishad 37 Dhyana-Bindu Upanishad 78 Annapurna Upanishad 2 Aksha-Malika Upanishad - 38 Ekakshara Upanishad 79 Atharvasikha Upanishad about rosary beads 39 Garbha Upanishad 80 Atharvasiras Upanishad 3 Atma-Bodha Upanishad 40 Kaivalya Upanishad 81 Atma Upanishad 4 Bahvricha Upanishad 41 Kalagni-Rudra Upanishad 82 Bhasma-Jabala Upanishad 5 Kaushitaki-Brahmana 42 Kali-Santarana Upanishad 83 Bhavana Upanishad Upanishad 43 Katha Upanishad 84 Brihad-Jabala Upanishad 6 Mudgala Upanishad 44 Katharudra Upanishad 85 Dattatreya Upanishad 7 Nada-Bindu Upanishad 45 Kshurika Upanishad 86 Devi Upanishad 8 Nirvana Upanishad 46 Maha-Narayana (or) Yajniki 87 Ganapati Upanishad 9 Saubhagya-Lakshmi Upanishad Upanishad 88 Garuda Upanishad 10 Tripura Upanishad 47 Pancha-Brahma Upanishad 48 Pranagnihotra Upanishad 89 Gopala-Tapaniya Upanishad From the Shuklapaksha 49 Rudra-Hridaya Upanishad 90 Hayagriva Upanishad Yajurveda 50 Sarasvati-Rahasya Upanishad 91 Krishna Upanishad 51 Sariraka Upanishad 92 Maha-Vakya Upanishad 11 Adhyatma Upanishad 52 Sarva-Sara Upanishad 93 Mandukya Upanishad 12 Advaya-Taraka Upanishad 53 Skanda Upanishad 94 Mundaka Upanishad 13 Bhikshuka Upanishad 54 Suka-Rahasya Upanishad 95 Narada-Parivrajaka 14 Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 55 Svetasvatara Upanishad Upanishad 15 Hamsa Upanishad 56 Taittiriya Upanishad 96 Nrisimha-Tapaniya 16 Isavasya Upanishad 57 Tejo-Bindu Upanishad Upanishad 17 Jabala Upanishad 58 Varaha Upanishad 97 Para-Brahma Upanishad
    [Show full text]
  • Is the Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya Connected to the Madhva Line?
    Is the Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya connected to the Madhva line? Is the Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya connected to the Madhva line? – Jagadananda Das – The relationship of the Madhva-sampradaya to the Gaudiya Vaishnavas is one that has been sensitive for more than 200 years. Not only did it rear its head in the time of Baladeva Vidyabhushan, when the legitimacy of the Gaudiyas was challenged in Jaipur, but repeatedly since then. Bhaktivinoda Thakur wrote in his 1892 work Mahaprabhura siksha that those who reject this connection are “the greatest enemies of Sri Krishna Chaitanya’s family of followers.” In subsequent years, nearly every scholar of Bengal Vaishnavism has cast his doubts on this connection including S. K. De, Surendranath Dasgupta, Sundarananda Vidyavinoda, Friedhelm Hardy and others. The degree to which these various authors reject this connection is different. According to Gaudiya tradition, Madhavendra Puri appeared in the 14th century. He was a guru of the Brahma or Madhva-sampradaya, one of the four (Brahma, Sri, Rudra and Sanaka) legitimate Vaishnava lineages of the Kali Yuga. Madhavendra’s disciple Isvara Puri took Sri Krishna Chaitanya as his disciple. The followers of Sri Chaitanya are thus members of the Madhva line. The authoritative sources for this identification with the Madhva lineage are principally four: Kavi Karnapura’s Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (1576), the writings of Gopala Guru Goswami from around the same time, Baladeva’s Prameya-ratnavali from the late 18th century, and anothe late 18th century work, Narahari’s
    [Show full text]
  • CONCEIVING the GODDESS an Old Woman Drawing a Picture of Durga-Mahishasuramardini on a Village Wall, Gujrat State, India
    CONCEIVING THE GODDESS An old woman drawing a picture of Durga-Mahishasuramardini on a village wall, Gujrat State, India. Photo courtesy Jyoti Bhatt, Vadodara, India. CONCEIVING THE GODDESS TRANSFORMATION AND APPROPRIATION IN INDIC RELIGIONS Edited by Jayant Bhalchandra Bapat and Ian Mabbett Conceiving the Goddess: Transformation and Appropriation in Indic Religions © Copyright 2017 Copyright of this collection in its entirety belongs to the editors, Jayant Bhalchandra Bapat and Ian Mabbett. Copyright of the individual chapters belongs to the respective authors. All rights reserved. Apart from any uses permitted by Australia’s Copyright Act 1968, no part of this book may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the copyright owners. Inquiries should be directed to the publisher. Monash University Publishing Matheson Library and Information Services Building, 40 Exhibition Walk Monash University Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia www.publishing.monash.edu Monash University Publishing brings to the world publications which advance the best traditions of humane and enlightened thought. Monash University Publishing titles pass through a rigorous process of independent peer review. www.publishing.monash.edu/books/cg-9781925377309.html Design: Les Thomas. Cover image: The Goddess Sonjai at Wai, Maharashtra State, India. Photograph: Jayant Bhalchandra Bapat. ISBN: 9781925377309 (paperback) ISBN: 9781925377316 (PDF) ISBN: 9781925377606 (ePub) The Monash Asia Series Conceiving the Goddess: Transformation and Appropriation in Indic Religions is published as part of the Monash Asia Series. The Monash Asia Series comprises works that make a significant contribution to our understanding of one or more Asian nations or regions. The individual works that make up this multi-disciplinary series are selected on the basis of their contemporary relevance.
    [Show full text]
  • Significance of Astavaranas in Lingayatism Dr
    Significance of Astavaranas in Lingayatism Dr. Jagannath K Guest Lecturer, Department of History, Gulbarga University, Kalaburagi: 585106, Karnataka Abstract: Though Lingayatism has believed to be prevailed since pre-historic times, it was reformed by Vishwajyoti Basaveshwar in 12th century. He has formed certain principles and emphasized different practices to keep away from evil instincts and live happily to attain Moksha or Salvation in life. The Lingayatism is based on Astavaranas or Eight Shields. The paper discussed the significance of Astavaranas enunciated by Basaveshwar in 12th century. Introduction: It is noted that Lingayatism or Veerashaivism was prevailed since remote past. Lord Shiva is the only god worshipped by followers of Lingayatism. Many of the philosophers have stated that Basaveshwar has found Lingayatism or Veerashaivism, but it is noted that Basaveshwar has reformed Lingayatism. Basaveshwar has improved and given systematic methods and principles to Lingayatism at the early 12th century. He was taught about the importance of Enlightenment, Work Culture, Democracy, Human Rights, Gender and Racial equality to form an egalitarian Society. Basavanna or Basaveshwarwas a Hindu philosopher, statesman, Kannada poet in the Shiva-focussed Bhakti movement and a social reformer during the reign of the Kalachuri-dynasty king Bijjala I in Karnataka, India. Basavanna spread social awareness through his poetry, popularly known as Vachanaas. Basavanna rejected gender or social discrimination, superstitions and rituals such as the wearing of sacred thread, but introduced Ishtalinganecklace, with an image of the Shiva Liṅga, to every person regardless of his or her birth, to be a constant reminder of one's bhakti to Shiva. As the chief minister of his kingdom, he introduced new public institutions such as the AnubhavaMantapa, which welcomed men and women from all socio- economic backgrounds to discuss spiritual and mundane questions of life, in open.
    [Show full text]
  • Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
    VARANASI, UTTAR PRADESH Varanasi or Banaras, unlike other cities is overwhelming. It is a city that requires you to be sensitive, spiritual, careful and open minded. The Tree of Life Resort & Spa, Varanasi encompasses all that Varanasi is, with a twist – it is your oasis of peace and calm after an over- whelming experience of the city. Varanasi as a city, competes for every inch of space. You will experience the crowds, the noise, the struggle of traffic while in the city. Coming back to the solace of your Resort, we offer you 18 Junior Suites, each with a private area of around 650 sq.ft. - Accommodation – Done in local style architecture, each Junior Suite allows you the luxury of space and privacy. High ceiling, teak wood carved furniture, hand painted Shiva on the wall, a separate living area with comfortable sofa and a large flat screen television; very spacious and well lit en suite 150 sq.ft bathroom with a style so unique you would not have seen else where. And added to all of this, is your large private sit-out overlooking the gardens, the ‘kund’ (religious pond) and the open spaces around. - Culinary Delight – AnnTripti – Our multi-cuisine restaurant derives its name from two Sanskrit words – ‘Ann’ which means food and ‘Tripti’ which means satisfaction – AnnTripti. We believe that food must be cooked and served fresh and to your delight. It is for this reason that we do not do buffets. We offer Indian and Continental options, along with some special local Banarasi signature dishes. Our menus change every day.
    [Show full text]
  • Sri Krishna Kathamrita
    Sri Krishna Kathamrita Tav k QaaMa*Ta& TaáJaqvNaMa( tava kathämåtaà tapta-jévanam Bindu Fortnightly email mini-magazine from Gopal Jiu Publications Issue No. 225. Çré Padminé Ekädaçé 25 April 2010 Circulation 2,950 • Preface to Sri Vedanta-Sutra i. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada • The GoSwami'S PrayerS for Book diStriBution Srila Narahari Chakravarti atchleSS auranGa Highlights • M G The Poet Ray Shekhar PAGE ONE TOP COLLUMN TWO Preface to Sri Vedanta-Sutra Part i His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada In approximately 1968, while staying in Montreal, Srila Prabhupada wrote a preface to a planned com- mentary on Vedänta-sütra After writing the preface, Srila Prabhupada started some other translating work and nothing more was done. To our knowledge it has never been printed. All Glories to Guru and Gauranga! oà namo bhagavate väsudeväya. His Divine Grace A. C. Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the Su- Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada preme Personality of Godhead, Väsudev. Let us talk about the Brahma-sütra or Vedänta- First of all let me offer my respectful obeisances to sütra. There are many comments on the Vedanta- my spiritual master Om Vishnupad Srimad Bhakti- sütra. In India the system is that anyone who is the siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada, then my head of a religious institution must be well conversed respectful obeisances to the Supreme Personality of with the Vedänta-sütras, and is expected to write Godhead Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who is associ- comments on the Vedänta-sütra, without which one ated with Sri Adwaita Prabhu, Nityananda Prabhu, Ga- is not accepted as an äcärya.
    [Show full text]
  • Shaivism by Dr
    Shaivism By Dr. Subhash Chandra Shaivism is one of the major traditions within Hinduism that reveres Shiva as the Supreme Being. The followers of Shaivism are called "Shaivites" or "Saivites". It is one of the largest sects that believe Shiva — worshipped as a creator and destroyer of worlds — is the supreme god over all. The Shaiva have many sub-traditions, ranging from devotional dualistic theism such as Shaiva Siddhanta to yoga-oriented monistic non-theism such as Kashmiri Shaivism. It considers both the Vedas and the Agama texts as important sources of theology. The origin of Shaivism may be traced to the conception of Rudra in the Rig Veda. Shaivism has ancient roots, traceable in the Vedic literature of 2nd millennium BCE, but this is in the form of the Vedic deity Rudra. The ancient text Shvetashvatara Upanishad dated to late 1st millennium BCE mentions terms such as Rudra, Shiva and Maheshwaram, but its interpretation as a theistic or monistic text of Shaivism is disputed. In the early centuries of the common era is the first clear evidence of Pāśupata Shaivism. Both devotional and monistic Shaivism became popular in the 1st millennium CE, rapidly becoming the dominant religious tradition of many Hindu kingdoms. It arrived in Southeast Asia shortly thereafter, leading to thousands of Shaiva temples on the islands of Indonesia as well as Cambodia and Vietnam, co- evolving with Buddhism in these regions. In the contemporary era, Shaivism is one of the major aspects of Hinduism. Shaivism theology ranges from Shiva being the creator, preserver, destroyer to being the same as the Atman (self, soul) within oneself and every living being.
    [Show full text]
  • Māte Mahādēvi: a Progressive Female Mystic in Today’S India
    Māte Mahādēvi: a Progressive Female Mystic in Today’s India MARIE-THÉRÈSE CHARPENTIER Åbo Akademi University Abstract Among the Indian female gurus active today, Māte Mahādēvi from the Liṅgāyat tradition in Karnataka (Southern India) is one of those attracting an increasing number of followers. Liṅgāyatism is a reform movement which according to certain views was founded by Basava in the twelfth century. The movement arose as a protest against the caste system, against a priesthood that was considered corrupt, and against discrimination against women. In the following paper, I provide a portrait of this religious revitalizer and mystic. I describe Māte Mahādēvi’s background in the light of the Liṅgāyat tradition, discussed briefly here. I also provide an account of some of her central contributions to the renewal of Liṅgāyatism, and of the resistance her work has met with. In addition to providing a cogent introduction to a hitherto relatively unknown religious tradition, my purpose, through giving voice to Māte Mahādēvi’s life and activities, is also to add to previous research by drawing attention to one of India’s contemporary female spiritual masters, largely unknown to westerners. Keywords: Liṅgāyatism, female spiritual leadership, revitalization, gender A heated and still ongoing discussion has raged for several decades as to whether or not women have historically been religiously active.1 While In- dian and western Indologists and historians of religion, as well as Christian 1 This article has been published in Swedish in Svensk religionshistorisk årsskrift 2001, vol. 10, edited by Svenska samfundet för religionshistorisk forskning, Uppsala 2002. The present article is a modified version of the Swedish one.
    [Show full text]
  • Navaratri Navadurga Sadhana 2019 [This Year in the US Navaratri Lasts Only 8 Days, As There Is No Edited by Official Dwitiya Tithi (Second Lunar Day)
    Navaratri Navadurga Sadhana 2019 [This year in the US Navaratri lasts only 8 days, as there is no edited by official Dwitiya Tithi (second lunar day). So the sadhanas for Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati both Shalaputri and Brahmacharini should be done today.] PRATIMA TITHI Devi Shailaputri Sunday, September 29th After Her self-immolation in Her incarnation as Sati, Para- Shakti took birth as Parvati, the daughter of the Himalaya. In Sanskrit shaila means mountain, due to which the Goddess is known as Shailaputri, the daughter of the mountain. She is visualized as riding the bull Nandi and holding a trident and lotus. She wears the crescent moon in Her hair. She resides within our body at the base of spine (mulladhara chakra), rules the earth element (prithvi-tattva), and the moon (Chandra). She is invoked on the first day of Navaratri (pratima tithi). Her blessings inspire us to begin our spiritual journey and gives us encouragement along the way. Japa Mantra: oṁ hrīṁ śrī śaila-putrī durgāyai namaḥ Pranam Mantra: oṁ himācala sutānātha samstute parameśvari rūpam dehi jayam dehi jaśo dehi dvisho jahi Shiva, the consort of the daughter of the Himalayas, praises You with hymns, Oh Supreme Goddess. Reveal Yourself. Grant victory. Grant success. Remove ill-feeling.” Devi Brahmacharini Brahmacharini is the form of Para-Shakti as young Parvati during Her practice of severe austerities to attain Lord Shiva as Her husband. She is the ideal disciple and sadhaka. She is visualized as barefooted, holding a pot of holy water and a mala of rudraksha beads. She resides in our body in the reproductive center (svadhistana-chakra), rules the water element (apas-tattva), and the planet Mars (Mangal).
    [Show full text]
  • Gaudiya-Sampradaya-Tattva the Nature of the Succession in Gaudiya Vaishnavism
    Gaudiya-Sampradaya-Tattva The Nature of the Succession in Gaudiya Vaishnavism Svami Sadananda Dasa to Vamandas notebook Mayapur 1950 Into English, within square brackets and footnotes and © Kid Samuelsson and Katrin Stamm Last modified 03.02.2020 What Prabhupad1 pointed out, but could not change, was the fact that the official Caitanya movement actually has nothing to do with Caitanya, and that a true follower of Caitanya is something else than a sentimental, muddled and immoral person, and that a true adherent of Mahaprabhu should be able to profess himself as such without feeling ashamed of himself and fearing that he will be thrown in the same category as those who wrap the mantle of the learned, the bhakta and the cult around their own social, intellectual, spiritual and moral inferiority, and as those who in the name of Mahaprabhu and His cult justify themselves while dealing with more or less shady activities. Soon after Mahaprabhu everything lies in ruins. Shankara tried to squeeze the Absolute into an intellectual, narrow bed. God had to comply with the laws of human logic, and like every system this violates God’s nature. Formlessness is just one of the forms of the manifold forms of the Absolute. Mahaprabhu did not create any new system, nor did Jiva Gosvami. Acintya-bhedabheda2 is an inference, a conclusion, a siddhanta, a conclusion drawn when one considers the Word Revelation as a whole, i.e. when the 1 Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur. 2 Acintya-bheda-abheda. Inconceivable simultaneous distinction and non-distinction. Bheda = distinction, abheda = non-distinction. Acintya = Only cognizable through the realization of the unrestricted import of the Shastram-s.
    [Show full text]
  • Sally Kempton Session 1: the Revelation Session 2: the Experience of the Vijnana Bhairava of Innate Divinity 1
    doorways TO THE infinite the art & practice of tantric meditation Sally Kempton Session 1: The Revelation Session 2: The Experience of the Vijnana Bhairava of Innate Divinity 1. Introduction 1:05 1. Introduction 0:48 2. A Manual for Accessing 2. Tantric Yoga, the Path Your Own Luminous of Return 8:16 Consciousness 10:29 3. The Divine Conversation 11:30 3. Nondual Shaiva Tantra 6:27 4. The Direct Path 4. Bhairava, the Inner Guru 11:02 of Nondual Realization 9:02 5. The Pulse of Shakti 8:09 5. Shakti Is Not Different 6. Meditation: Wherever the from the Supreme Self 8:40 Mind Goes Is Divine 6. The Spaciousness at Consciousness 3:22 the Heart of the Breath 6:44 7. The Path of Self-Recognition: 7. Meditation: Entering Your Heart Is the Heart of an the Center 27:26 Enlightened Being 10:28 1 hour, 12 minutes 8. Experiencing Yourself as “I Am” 6:39 Session 3: Holding the Center 9. The Story of Cosmic 1. Introduction 0:49 Creation 10:29 2. The Breath Turns Inside 10:04 1 hour, 8 minutes 3. Meditation: Awareness of the Central Channel 7:39 4. The Rise of Kundalini 9:50 5. Meditation: Spinal Breathing 4:31 6. The Phases of Kundalini 9. The Sexual Practice 8:41 Awakening 7:11 10. Meditation: Gazing Upon 7. Meditation: Rising Kundalini 17:36 a Beautiful Object 8:51 8. Meditation: Ajna Chakra, Bridge 1 hour, 16 minutes to the Highest Center 15:40 1 hour, 13 minutes Session 5: The Yoga of Intense Experience Session 4: Emptiness, 1.
    [Show full text]